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[Kalir]

Hey kids, this is Kalir!

Let's talk about Gang Garrison 2: Randomizer mod weapons!

Each class in Randomizer has five primary and five secondary/melee options for their loadout, resulting in 25 possible combinations for each class. I'll go over each class' weapons in some detail, outlining the strengths and weaknesses, what playstyle it suits best, and what other weapons complement it well.

I will NOT be providing in-depth guides for how to play a specific class. There are countless guides about each class' strengths and roles. This guide's just going to overlook how loadouts, as well as basic changes from the mod, change each role. Additionally, I'll skim over the more dangerous weapon types briefly as a way to indicate how to best counter them. These will be denoted by a after the weapon name, so keep an eye out for those.

Note that even if you don't play/hate a specific class, you should look over their loadouts too, so you know what to expect. Classic example is if you have a Quick Fix healer on your team. That player will serve a very different role from a traditional healer, and assuming they function as normal could cost you and your healer valuable ground.

Class list:
Runner
Firebug
Rocketman
Overweight
Detonator
Healer
Constructor
Infiltrator
Rifleman

Theoretically Asked Questions

[Kalir]

RUNNER
Fastest class in the game, lowest base health at 100, has a double jump and twice the capping speed. Excels at capturing any objective. Plays about the same as in normal GG2.

Primaries:

Scattergun:
The standard weapon for the runner, and more or less identical to its GG2 counterpart. Its strength in randomizer is that it has the largest clip size out of all runner primaries at 6, thus freeing up your secondary for utility tools rather than backup weapons. It's a good, safe option for runners who want to be ready for anything.
In a Nutshell: High Ammo Reserve
Works Well With: Bonk! Atomic Punch, Mad Milk, Atomizer

Force-A-Nature:
A very powerful, but very risky, weapon to use. The costs are severe, as you have only two shots and are at reduced HP to boot, but the extra damage and firing speed, enough to two-shot most classes in the game (and that's all the shots you've got), plus the knockback to keep close-range monsters at bay, are both worth it. Additionally, the knockback applies to you as well, which can halt your momentum in the air, but can also be used to get to places you couldn't normally reach. This option is best for runners who aren't afraid to get up close and meatshot things to death, then run out when they're done.
In a Nutshell: Risky Glass Cannon
Works Well With: Pistol, Bonk! Atomic Punch

Rundown:
Don't feel like going after objectives? Then become the most terrifying defense the other team will ever see with the Rundown. Your clip size goes down to 4, and you lose objective-capturing power, but every kill you land increases your movement speed and jump height. At five rundowns, you can be anywhere you need to be, and can take down almost anything without a scratch if you know what you're doing. Note that at five rundowns, you cancel out the movement penalty while carrying the intel.
In a Nutshell: Top Speed Defense
Works Well With: Sandman, Mad Milk

Soda Popper:
A weapon that looks simple, but has a degree of complexity to it. As long as you have this weapon out, movement of any kind will fill the Hype meter. Once it tops out, you get minicrits with the Soda Popper. It fires faster than the scattergun, but only holds three shots. It's best used by filling up the Hype meter almost to full, then swapping to a secondary for general combat until you're in a tight spot, at which point you swap it in for near-instant minicrits. This makes it a good surprise threat.
In a Nutshell: Carefully Timed Minicrits
Works Well With: Pistol, Sandman, Atomizer

Flashlight:
A new addition to the Runner's arsenal, and one that functions considerably differently from a basic scattergun. This weapon is hitscan, meaning that it works like the rifleman's primaries, hitting instantly. This does mean adapting to the different aiming you'll need to use to hit with it. It also stores only four shots. However, this weapon excels against autoguns once you get in range, with each shot being a guaranteed critical hit. It takes practice to get used to as compared to the normal scattergun, but once you do, it becomes much harder for the enemy to avoid.
In a Nutshell: Instant Anti-Autogun Shots
Works Well With: Sandman, Mad Milk, Atomizer

Secondaries:

Pistol:
An unimpressive weapon at first glance, made more attractive by the low ammo for the runner's primary options. The pistol holds 12 shots, each of which deals about 7 damage if memory serves, and fires twice as fast as an infiltrator's revolver. It doesn't have a shotgun-style reload, but it reloads very quickly, making this a good option for runners who want to kite and harass foes after they've expended the ammo on their primaries, or are low on health and don't want to risk a point-blank gib.
In a Nutshell: Mid Ranged Backup
Works Well With: Force-a-Nature, Soda Popper

Bonk! Atomic Punch:
A neat utility option, the atomic punch takes a while to activate (about 2/3 as long as a backstab) but once it kicks in, you enjoy complete invulnerability to enemy attacks for a few seconds. This comes at a cost of being unable to shoot or pick up the intel while it's active, although you can both reload and cap points or stop captures. This is best used to either set yourself up for an unstoppable meatshot, to wall off enemy projectiles while your team advances, or to screw with point captures. Actually I don't think that last one is intended behaviour, but oh well. Riflemen, in particular, will hate you for this one.
In a Nutshell: Emergency Invincibility
Works Well With: Scattergun, Force-a-Nature

Sandman:
Unlike all basic melee weapons, the Sandman's basic swing deals 25 damage a pop (as opposed to 40), but it still goes about as fast as a Scout bat in TF2. It hits a reasonable area in front of you depending on which side you're facing, but suffers the problem of being extremely close range. However, you don't choose the Sandman because it's a melee weapon, you choose it because of the alternate fire. This will hit a baseball in an arc towards the enemy. It does meager damage, but depending on how far it travels, it'll stun an enemy for a while, easily long enough to kill them if they're alone. The trick is aiming the arc, and it's important to note that close-range baseballs will do nothing to stun enemies. Try practicing on healers, see if you can hit them over their patient. Perfecting that in a skirmish will earn you more wins than you can imagine.
In a Nutshell: Stuns and Melee
Works Well With: Rundown, Soda Popper, Flashlight

Mad Milk:
Sick of healers ignoring you in favor of their meatheaded patients? Use this, then. Mad Milk works kind of like a grenade, except instead of damaging enemies, everyone you hit with the milk heals you by 20 HP. Aside from that, you can put out any burning teammates in the milk's radius (yourself included!) and short out the cloaks of enemy infiltrators. This is perfect for runners who keep finding themselves running back to the restock every time they finish a fight.
In a Nutshell: Heal in a Pinch
Works Well With: Scattergun, Rundown

Atomizer:
Another bat, like the Sandman, but rather than having an alternate fire that stuns enemies, carrying this lets you perform triple jumps rather than just double jumps. The benefits to this are obvious: using this you can get to places that most classes would have to use explosives to reach, if they even could, to say nothing of your ability to completely foil airshots. As for being an actual weapon... well, you most likely have better options for that, but runner secondaries aren't generally used as direct weapons. This weapon also possesses a tauntkill, if you're into that sort of thing. As of the new version, the third jump loses a bit of mobility, and having the Atomizer equipped lowers your max HP, but if you never get hit, who cares?
In a Nutshell: Needs More Jumps
Works Well With: Scattergun, Soda Popper, Flashlight

[Kalir]

FIREBUG
Decently quick, average health of 120. Fireproof suit. Primaries can ignite enemies for damage over time, but have limited range. Almost the same as in GG2, except that flarebursts are removed.

Primaries:

Flamethrower:
Nearly identical to their basic counterpart in GG2, with the exception that it cannot perform flarebursts anymore. It still retains the basic airburst aside from that, which pushes enemies and deflects heavy projectiles (rockets, mines, arrows, et cetera). The primary fire of the flamethrower deals significant damage at short range, and burning enemies take damage over time, enough that a firebug can usually ignite enemies and run off. The real draw of the base flamethrower, though, is the basic airburst, since every other firebug primary has different properties to the airburst.
In a Nutshell: Reflect and Burn
Works Well With: Flaregun, Detonator

Backburner:
Sorry kids, this doesn't have the crits from behind. However, it does have base afterburn damage higher than the vanilla flamethrower, at the cost of a more expensive airburst. This one is for firebugs who want to make things die for sure when they get in close range, even if they escape, but still want to be able to repel projectiles in a pinch.
In a Nutshell: Airbursts are for Wusses
Works Well With: Shotgun, Flaregun

Transmutator:
The weapon of choice, bar none, for defensive firebugs. The afterburn from this one is negligible, but the modified airburst is well worth it. Rather than pushing enemies away, it can pull them towards you, which is great if, say, you've got an autogun or overweight just behind you. On top of that, any enemy projectiles in the airburst area will not be reflected, but instead erased, granting you health proportional to the projectile (a rocket gives you about 30 HP, so use that as a guideline for what to expect). And I do mean ANY projectile, not just heavy stuff like rockets. You can wall yourself, and your team's defenses, off from enemies all day long until a rifleman shows up.
In a Nutshell: Absorb Everything Forever
Works Well With: Shotgun, Napalm Grenade

Frostbite:
This one's for people who love to screw with the enemy instead of outright kill them. Unlike the other three afterburn types, Frostbite will slow the enemy down proportional to how much they've been frozen. You can even halt enemy movement completely if you land enough hits, which usually means death. Additionally, your airburst deals minor damage, letting you hit through walls and make delaying airbursts even more of a threat. However, your airburst cannot affect enemy projectiles, so you need a good way to accommodate for that. If you have it, though, this one is tons of fun and really effective.
In a Nutshell: Mobility Screwballery Extraordinaire
Works Well With: Flaregun, Detonator, Homewrecker

Phlogistinator:
A new kind of flamethrower that trades away some of the damage of the basic flamethrower, as well as the airburst outright, for both a hitscan effect and an "mmmph" meter. Doing damage will accrue a charge to the meter, and once it tops out, you become overhealed and all damage dealt is critical damage. If you never found yourself bothering with the airburst at all, then this weapon should add a new tweak to the class, not unlike the Soda Popper, that rewards careful timing.
In a Nutshell: Hitscan and Charging Up
Works Well With: Flaregun, Detonator, Homewrecker

Secondaries:

Shotgun:
Identical to the Constructor's basic primary, the Shotgun's nicest draw is that it holds six shots, which works nicely with the Firebug's tendency to quickly run out of ammo for their primary. It's also the only firebug option that doesn't do anything with afterburn at all, making it your best counter for other firebugs. A solid choice all around.
In a Nutshell: Non-Incendiary Sidearm
Works Well With: Almost Anything

Flaregun:
Nearly the same as the flareburst from GG2, except it's its own weapon, rather than a function of the basic flamethrower. To make it more attractive, it deals crits to enemies who are suffering afterburn, in addition to lighting them at a distance. Emphasis on "distance", too: the flares travel straight and true, and even faster than rockets, if memory serves. A top choice for people who want to make sure people running from them go down, though you only get one shot before you have to reload, so make every shot count. Note that firing speed is much higher than reload speed, which can lead to interesting behaviour if you're superbursted.
In a Nutshell: Long Distance Ignition
Works Well With: Almost Anything

Detonator:
A surprisingly powerful utility weapon. Like the flaregun, it fires straight over a long distance. However, it trades the crits for an explosive feature, either on a direct hit, or manually with the alternate fire (and it still deals minicrits to burning enemies). This weapon is useful for many reasons, not the least of which is the ability to do a weaker form of rocketjump, but it's most noteworthy because the firebug has no better option for taking down autoguns, and the Detonator excels at this role. If you need to break through a sturdy defense, look no further. Again, firing rate is much faster than reload rate, so if you get superbursted, pull this out and watch the fireworks.
In a Nutshell: Single Shot Rocket
Works Well With: Almost Anything

Napalm Grenade:
This option gives the firebug a bit of a way to handle enemies that are hiding behind cover. The napalm grenade, when thrown, acts not unlike a Detonator's grenade launcher, except that when it explodes, it scatters flames everywhere, burning enemies in a large radius. You only have one, though, which is a bit of a problem for the firebug's high ammo expenditure on their primary, but it's incredible as a surprise attack, especially since they can't always see this coming the way they can see you rushing in with a flamethrower.
In a Nutshell: Bunker-Busting Flames
Works Well With: Almost Anything

Homewrecker:
Did you ever play TF2 and go "wow the Homewrecker sure is situational, I wish it was more blatantly overpowered like the Axtinguisher?" Cool, me neither. Anyway, the Homewrecker in GG2 both crits on burning targets and does heavy damage to autoguns. Of course, the weapon is a melee weapon, so getting the most out of it involves getting close enough to tag them with your primary first, but if you can do that, you can take your close range damage output up from "awesome" to "you just twoshotted an overweight". Great against stationary burly targets, but you'll start feeling the lack of a longer-ranged secondary.
In a Nutshell: Close-Range Annihilation
Works Well With: Frostbite, Transmutator

[Kalir]

ROCKETMAN
Average movement speed, high health of 160. Standard frontline class, with a powerful but slow primary that deals heavy damage on direct hits and has some splash damage. Plays about the same as in normal GG2.

Primaries:

Rocket Launcher:
The rocket launcher is identical to the version from the original game. Four shots, slow to reload, but each shot packs high power and hits a decent area. However, while it lacks the neat tricks all the other primaries offer, the rocket launcher has the exact balance to make it perfect for destroying autoguns: high damage, good-ish clip size, and can hit/push the constructor away if need be. Don't discount this old standby, it can be very useful in the right situation.
In a Nutshell: Anti-Autogun Rockets
Works Well With: Shotgun, Buff Banner, Reserve Shooter

Direct Hit:
A popular alternative to the basic rocket launcher, and with good reason. It trades away the splash damage and one loaded rocket for faster-traveling rockets, and extra damage on airshots to boot. Great for rocketmen who want to make their airshots easier, since you don't really need much in the way of precision on the launching shot. The smaller blast size becomes a problem against groups, though, since your shots can't punch through to hit targets behind. Note that rocketjumping isn't as viable with this one, due to the smaller explosion size.
In a Nutshell: Speedy Powerful Airshots
Works Well With: Righteous Bison, Equalizer

Cow Mangler 5000:
A much more technical weapon than most people who select it will realize. Individual shots do less damage, but you can stock up partial reloads due to the charge meter (i.e. if you have 1.5 shots, and you fire, you start reloading from .5 shots), which comes in handy a lot more than it sounds since you can pretty much fire whenever you have to, though sustained fire isn't recommended. You can also use the alternate fire to prepare a charge shot, expending all the charge of the weapon to shoot a crit. On top of this, any crit from this weapon, charge shot or no, will light enemies on fire. A very nice weapon, particularly for rocketjumpers, but the decreased damage against autoguns is a severe flaw in the context of Randomizer mod.
In a Nutshell: Never Out of Ammo
Works Well With: Buff Banner, Equalizer, Reserve Shooter

Black Box:
This weapon's got a pretty heavy penalty for the rocketman's already limited ammo reserves, denying him one extra rocket. However, each direct hit with a rocket he lands heals 15 points of damage away, giving him much greater staying power, especially on defense. If you can make each shot count, this will prove to be a very valuable weapon. Not recommended for rocketjumpers, or rocketmen who find themselves with pocket healers.
In a Nutshell: Hold Down the Fort
Works Well With: Anything but Buff Banner

Airstrike:
A weapon that adds additional functionality to the basic rocket launcher, at the cost of preventing you from having more than one shot on screen. The alternate fire will drop whatever rocket you have in the air straight down. This, of course, lets you negate cover with easy and pull off tricky shots which would be otherwise impossible to manage. Learning to accommodate for that missing extra shot can be a bit of a handicap, though, particularly at longer ranges, so if you want to blockade chokepoints, this is not the launcher for you.
In a Nutshell: Precision Trick Shots
Works Well With: Shotgun, Righteous Bison, Reserve Shooter

Secondaries:

Shotgun:
Identical to the Constructor's primary, and as with the firebug, most useful for rocketmen due to the ammo reserve. If you run out of rockets in the middle of a firefight, switch to this and you'll be able to keep going as long as you've got health to stand. It's also less penalizing on a miss than the basic rockets due to the wider spread and faster firing/reload rate, making it good for novice rocketmen. Too bad they won't ever use it with the Equalizer around.
In a Nutshell: High Ammo Backup
Works Well With: Rocket Launcher, Black Box

Buff Banner:
Great for rocketmen who never travel alone, the Buff Banner doesn't do anything on its own, but each kill you land while it's equipped adds to your Rage meter (though the first kill in each life doesn't register, this is a known bug). Once you've gotten 4 kills, your Rage meter is full, and you can use the Buff Banner to grant you and your nearby teammates free crits for a short time. If you're fully loaded on your primary, you should be able to fire off four crit shots back to back before the rage depletes, so even without backup, this is a decent weapon.
In a Nutshell: Crits for Everyone
Works Well With: Rocket Launcher, Cow Mangler 5000

Righteous Bison:
Generally considered an underpowered weapon, the Righteous Bison has a few properties that make it an interesting alternative to the shotgun. It only carries four shots, and each shot is a tiny bit weaker than a point-blank shotgun blast, but it pierces through enemies. This doesn't seem like a lot, but in the right situations (say, firing into cramped spaces) it'll pay for the lower basic stats several times over. If you're tired of healers being blocked by their meatshields, pick this up and watch as they drop like flies. Additionally, it can light Huntsman arrows (or it could if they had that functionality).
In a Nutshell: Anti-Healer Sidearm
Works Well With: Direct Hit, Black Box, Airstrike

Equalizer:
One of the more dangerous additions to Randomizer mod, the Equalizer is an otherwise normal melee weapon that adds to your speed and damage the more you're injured. When you're at critical levels of health, you can twoshot just about any class in the game and run as fast as a runner. Of course, this is basically holding up a giant neon sign that says "FREE POINTS HERE, GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE RECKLESS". If you pull this out, you better be damn sure you can kill everyone that sees you without taking a hit. It's better used to quickly escape than suicidally rush into the fray, and at that, it excels.
How to counter: A lot of rocketmen have taken to using this as their main weapon, pulling it out as they charge in against enemies. The damage they take on the way, if it doesn't kill them, sets their health low enough to instakill most anything they find. If people start abusing this, I recommend rapid-fire weapons, or things that could slow the rocketman down. The Frostbite is by far the best option for this, followed by Natascha.
In a Nutshell: Last Ditch Attack/Escape
Works Well With: Direct Hit, Cow Mangler 5000

Reserve Shooter:
A new brand of shotgun that's perfect for rocketmen who want to make their airshots absolutely punishing. Though it only holds 4 shells, and you can't switch away until it's fully loaded, any hit it lands on an airborne target will automatically be a crit. To facilitate this, you can fire almost instantly after switching, so get in the habit of doing so after every good launching shot and you'll find your kill count skyrocketing.
In a Nutshell: Punishing Airshots
Works Well With: Rocket Launcher, Cow Mangler 5000, Airstrike

[Kalir]

OVERWEIGHT
Slow movement speed, highest health at 200. Slows down while firing primary, but deals incredible damage over mid-range. Excellent at defending objectives. The Manvich is no longer available by default, instead being a secondary option.

Primaries:

Minigun:
"Sascha" is, as with most primaries, unchanged from the basic overweight primary, with the exception that the manvich is now a secondary weapon. It has incredible damage potential but slows your movement while firing. Compared to other overweight primaries, it's got the best combination of power and mobility preservation, so it's a good safe option if you dislike the downsides the other options have.
In a Nutshell: Advancing Wall of Bullets
Works Well With: Sandvich, Family Business

Tomislav:
A few classes have a primary for people who don't like the class in the normal game. The Tomislav is exactly that for the overweight, addressing all of the key flaws of the class (slow movement while firing, ammo consumption, and bullet spread at a distance). However, it halves your firing rate, which is a very severe disadvantage and should be carefully considered. You won't be mowing down hordes with this, but you will be supporting your teammates all the more effectively.
In a Nutshell: Mobility over Power
Works Well With: Shotgun, Sandvich, Killing Gloves of Boxing

Natascha:
If you're tired of enemies always running out of reach (or within their own range) before you can do enough damage to them, this is the weapon for you. Your damage potential isn't nerfed as much as with Tomislav, and the more hits you land, the slower the enemy becomes. It's not as drastic of a slowing effect as with the Frostbite, but it doesn't have to be, because you've got much greater range than the Frostbite. However, against foes that aren't likely to run from you, it's a bit more of a liability than other guns.
In a Nutshell: Lockdown Escape Attempts
Works Well With: Shotgun, Dalokohs Bar, Killing Gloves of Boxing

Brass Beast:
12% extra damage might not seem like much, but with the overweight's already high damage rate, that adds a surprising amount of impact to even grazing blows. The cost is very high, though, since you're stuck where you are while it's firing (although you can, and should, jump while firing). Given that even slight momemtum is applied to every shot, this becomes noticeable very quickly. However, on defense, there's nothing better, since enemies will come to you, and if they don't, well, you must be doing something right. This also works well if you've got a pocket healer, since you can park yourself right in front of the enemy's outpost and keep them locked down as long as they last.
In a Nutshell: Stationary Murder Machine
Works Well With: Family Business, Dalokohs Bar

Iron Maiden:
An old option making a return, the Iron Maiden has an extremely worrying downside in that it has only a fraction of the ammo capacity of normal miniguns. However, whenever you kill someone with it, you get an instant reload. This suits it perfectly to taking down rush tactics, since you can take on an endless stream of runners without a problem, and it's amazing in chokepoints. Outside of those situations, though, you have to be extremely mindful of your limited options while carrying this, because if you can't get a kill with that smaller ammo amount, you're dead in the water.
In a Nutshell: Anti-Rushing Weapon
Works Well With: Shotgun, Family Business, Killing Gloves of Boxing

Secondaries:

Shotgun:
Again, identical to the basic Constructor primary, and again, has the benefit of extending your ammo capabilities. It serves a secondary purpose for the overweight, though, in that you don't cripple your mobility at all while firing. If you've got one of these, it should always be out while you're traveling towards (or fleeing from) the frontline. Make sure you keep both this and your primary fully loaded whenever there's nothing going on, and you'll do just fine.
In a Nutshell: Mobile Backup Weapon
Works Well With: Tomislav, Natascha, Iron Maiden

Sandvich:
The old alternate fire of the Overweight has been given extra functionality. Like in the base game, you can eat this +50 HP edible device at any time, though you can't move while eating it. Also unlike the base game, you can toss it, triggering the cooldown but letting anyone on your team pick it up instantly for 50 health. It's not as good as having a dedicated healer on your team, but a dedicated healer can't ever hope to compare to an overweight's offensive power, so it's almost always a good option.
In a Nutshell: Share With a Friend
Works Well With: Anything

Family Business:
A shotgun with a twist. It's got one less shot in it than the average shotgun, so you have to reload faster (not an insignificant drawback). However, every kill you land with it grants your healer more superburst charge. Even with this, nine times out of ten they'd prefer having a sandvich instead, but if you've got healers latched onto you and they know how to stay out of harm's way, particularly Overhealers, this can make you damn near unstoppable.
In a Nutshell: Pocket Healer's Best Friend
Works Well With: Minigun, Brass Beast, Iron Maiden

Dalokohs Bar:
While underpowered in TF2, the mechanics of GG2, and Randomizer mod in particular, let the Dalokohs bar stand proudly alongside the Sandvich. It is one of two sources of overheal in the game, and while eating it only grants 40 points of health, that still puts you at 240 health, which can let you take on most enemies at a 2 vs 1 disadvantage. If you stick by the spawn, you can even eat a second helping to cap out your overheal at 250, since the restock prevents the decay of overheal.
In a Nutshell: Never Enough Health
Works Well With: Natascha, Brass Beast

Killing Gloves of Boxing:
The overweight's melee option. Unlike other melee weapons, it swings a bit slower, but it does more damage per punch, and if you do manage to get a kill with it, all your attacks are crits for a short amount of time. While this is a very attractive option, you first have to remember that anyone who sees you with the gloves out will react in the only sensible manner, i.e. by running like hell. This is made worse by the fact that while the crit bonus is active, you can't switch away from the gloves. You should reserve these for killing stunned enemies and checking for infiltrators, or as a surprise option for classes that rush into melee range, such as firebugs.
In a Nutshell: Punch Mans, Get Crits
Works Well With: Tomislav, Natascha, Iron Maiden

[Kalir]

DETONATOR
Average speed and health of 120. Primary lacks direct offense, but can deploy mines that are detonated remotely. Excels at blocking off areas from enemies. Plays about the same as in GG2.

Primaries:

Minegun:
You all know how this one works. Like in the basic game, you can deploy eight mines at a time, each one does respectable damage, and you detonate them all at once with your alternate fire. Like the rocketman, this basic option is your best for taking out autoguns, making it worthy of consideration even with all the other neat toys available. It's also got the versatility to function both as offense and defense, so it's a solid choice for any loadout.
In a Nutshell: Versatile Area Denial
Works Well With: Double Trouble, Eyelander, Hand Grenade

Tiger Uppercut:
Don't like hanging around waiting for enemies to come to you? The Tiger Uppercut is one of the better offensive options available to you. Faster reload and firing times, nearly invisible mines, and bonus damage on airshots all work together to make this an incredibly devastating force. However, you can only deploy five mines (which most players will leave at four to set up airshot traps), and stuck mines deal pitiful damage. This is a much bigger flaw than it initially seems, destroying viability against autoguns. If you use this, find a way to account for that. Additionally, this weapon isn't as good for stickyjumping, since the damage to yourself increases if you're in the air, and avoiding that by waiting for the mine to stick could cost you valuable time (also it seems to have a generally weaker propulsion to me).
In a Nutshell: Offensive Airshot Traps
Works Well With: Double Trouble, Pain Train, Hand Grenade

Scottish Resistance:
The Scottish Resistance is the weapon of choice if you like hiding in the restock while watching over a mine-covered objective. You get nearly twice as many mines to launch, and can detonate them in more precise groups, allowing for more careful or intricate traps. Just move the cursor over the area and right-click. However, this is both a blessing and a curse, as any mines you don't detonate can't be destroyed if they're out of range, and your cursor has to be in place to pull off midair explosions. When using this primary, it's important to remember that non-Frostbite firebugs, or any kind of explosive, will ruin your clever traps, so if that happens, pull out your secondary and get to work, and fast. Additionally, remember to scatter the mines around, as you can afford to detonate multiple groups in succession. DON'T PUT ALL 14 MINES IN THE SAME PLACE THAT IS A DUMB THING TO DO.
In a Nutshell: Precision Objective Defense
Works Well With: Grenade Launcher, Eyelander

Sticky Jumper:
Bah, doing airshots and setting traps is too hard, I just want to screw around all day! The Sticky Jumper does no damage with its mines (but people still make minefields with it and I HAVE NO IDEA WHY), and you have a clip size of 12. Obviously the best use of this weapon is to use it to travel across the map quickly and easily. It loses a lot of viability in cramped maps, and you do of course sacrifice the main draw of the detonator to gain this kind of mobility, but it remains a very powerful option, especially on CTF maps. Get used to your secondary if you choose this, because it's the only weapon you've got.
How to counter: On CTF maps, the Sticky Jumper is one of the most deadly offensive threats there is, especially on maps that reward rocketjumping like 2dfort. These maps should play their defense with this in mind. Autoguns, particularly the wrench autogun, work nicely, but another, less expected counter is the Scottish Resistance. Any place a sticky jumper blasts themselves towards the intel, they also trigger all the mines in the area, meaning you have to worry less about timing the explosions. Defensive runners can also catch up to them semi-easily, particularly with the Rundown.
In a Nutshell: Explosion-based Propulsion
Works Well With: Grenade Launcher, Eyelander, Pain Train

Stucky Charm:
The mines from this gun will disappear on contact with the ground, they can't be manually detonated, and they only damage one target at a time. So why use them? Because they'll stick to targets, "painting" them for another explosive attack from you or your teammate. What's more, stickies from this weapon do an extra 10% damage. All you have to do to make this work is bring another explosive secondary, and get used to it. Also, get good at dodging and travel with a friend, because those mines don't stick around if you die. Oh, and this will flat out fail to be of any help at all if the enemy team has even a single firebug not using the Frostbite or Phlogistinator.
In a Nutshell: Setup for Explosive Secondary
Works Well With: NOT Eyelander or Pain Train

Secondaries:

Grenade Launcher:
A new weapon, which functions like a weaker rocket launcher. It's affected pretty sharply by gravity, and the grenades only immediately explode on a direct hit. Misses will leave the grenade inert on the ground for a short time before detonating. It still has the 4 shots, and direct hits are no less potent, but they are trickier to land. You'll need to really get a feel for the weapon's trajectory to make good use of it, but once you do, there's very little that can stop you. Note that grenades will take out any mines you've set.
In a Nutshell: Ghetto Rocket Launcher
Works Well With: Scottish Resistance, Sticky Jumper, Stucky Charm

Double Trouble:
What's this, you want even more destructive force? How about a grenade launcher that fires two shots at once? They'll arc out at different trajectories, so hitting a single enemy at a distance with both shots will be all but impossible, and each shot is individually a bit weaker. However, at close range or against crowds, this weapon can be devastating. You will need to reload after every shot, though, so only use it if you've got some form of backup or no better option.
In a Nutshell: One-Shot Devastation
Works Well With: Minegun, Tiger Uppercut, Stucky Charm

Eyelander:
The traditional melee weapon of the Detonator, and one of two options for them. The added draw the Eyelander brings to the table is a charge function as an alternate fire. While charging, you move at runner speed and your Eyelander deals minicrits with each hit, but you cannot stop moving, and your movement direction is determined by facing rather than keypresses. While this can make for an impressive offense, it takes finesse and timing to make it really work, otherwise you just end up getting the entire enemy team's attention and weapons focused on you. Like the Equalizer, the safer option is, of course, to use it to retreat to safety when in a bind, or if you've got the intel and can't risk a stickyjump.
In a Nutshell: Emergency Speed Boost
Works Well With: Minegun, Scottish Resistance

Pain Train:
The second melee option, this one doesn't give an extra charge attack, but instead passive benefits depending on the game mode. Your capturing ability becomes on par with a runner, so you count as two classes while capturing points. On CTF maps, you gain an extra 30 max health. Finally, it ignores the shield on a generator, making it a deadly option for that game mode. The Pain Train is the secondary of choice for detonators who want to press the offensive and don't want to loiter around their base waiting for the enemy to come to them.
In a Nutshell: Objective-based Bonuses
Works Well With: Tiger Uppercut, Sticky Jumper

Hand Grenade:
A grenade with a more conventional feel. Similar to the grenade launcher, but you only get two shots, and the detonation time for them decreases the longer you hold down the primary fire button. Hold it too long, and it blows up in your face. It also deals more damage and has a larger area of effect, so it's a great fit for players who want every grenade they throw to really pack a kick. The limited ammo, though, means that, as with Double Trouble, you'll want a good primary option to cover for that weakness, and they don't auto-explode upon hitting an enemy.
In a Nutshell: Old-Fashioned Grenade Goodness
Works Well With: Minegun, Tiger Uppercut

[Kalir]

HEALER
Above average speed, average health of 120. Passive regeneration and carries a secondary that can heal teammates. The backbone of any team, and arguably the best class in the game. Needlegun and medigun are now separate weapons.

Primaries:

Needlegun:
Apparently the primary fire and alternate fire were swapped for the healer in Randomizer mod. You should be familiar with the healer's needlegun as a piddly last-ditch maneuver which does just enough damage to deter runners and infiltrators. In Randomizer, the needlegun's benefit is that out of all the primaries available, it retains both the healer's base health, regeneration, and damage, making it the tool of choice if you prize survivability over everything else.
In a Nutshell: I Will Survive
Works Well With: Medigun, Overhealer

Blutsauger:
If you want to be able to actually fight enemies worth a damn as a healer, the Blutsauger is a possible option. Your passive regeneration is weakened noticeably, but every needle that hits an enemy grants you health. This lets you pick off weakened foes or join in alongside teammates in a firefight without seeming completely useless. If your patient isn't doing a good job of protecting you, switching to this and hitting the enemy with it can send a very clear message to your patient.
In a Nutshell: Supporting Self-Healing Fire
Works Well With: Overhealer, Quick Fix

Terminal Breath:
This weapon was made with that annoying scenario in mind, where you get killed just before you get a chance to pull off a superburst. It lowers your maximum health by 20, but if you die while you have 75% or more superburst, every teammate, and I do mean EVERY TEAMMATE, will be completely healed. However, while using this, you're even more dependent on your patient to protect you, so be sure your team can make use of it. Be very careful using it as an actual weapon, as not only is it a weak weapon, but the telltale orange coloring will warn every enemy teammate that you are weaker than other healers, and you should be killed first so the damage to your teammates is minimal when you die.
In a Nutshell: Last Ditch Healing
Works Well With: Medigun, Crit Creator

Crusader's Crossbow:
The only healer primary that isn't a needlegun. This will fire a single crossbow bolt that does some respectable damage to enemies on a hit, but not as good as, say, a revolver. However, it will travel pretty much indefinitely, and any teammates it hits will heal a similarly respectable amount instead. Note that THIS DOES NOT AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE YOUR SECONDARY, so do not use it if there are teammates who need to be healed near you. The intended usage of the crossbow is to support teammates at a distance, without endangering yourself by jumping into the fray. After all, you can't lose your superburst if you're not close enough to be hit.
In a Nutshell: Support From a Distance
Works Well With: Quick Fix, Doc Belmont's Holy Water

Ubersaw:
The only melee weapon the healer has available. Unlike in TF2, kills with this do not add to your superburst meter, which is unfortunate but not really bad. A melee weapon is still a decent alternative to the needlegun for self-defense. It also possesses a tauntkill, which will heal any teammate it hits for a fairly hefty chunk of health, but unless you're in medieval mode, don't bother using that when you have a perfectly viable medigun. But yeah, a melee weapon is a good means of self-defense for a healer, so even without reasonably useful benefits it's a good idea.
In a Nutshell: Melee Self-Defense
Works Well With: Medigun, Overhealer

Secondaries:

Medigun:
The default secondary for the healer, and no less potent than in base GG2. As long as it's attached to someone, they'll be healed. The draw to the base medigun over the others is a reliable access to the best superburst type, granting both invulnerability and infinite ammo to you and your patient for the duration. Just heal wounded people as they come close, and once your superburst is ready, find a rocketman preferably, though runners, firebugs, and overweights will do, and go to town. Like many other default choices, this is the best for taking out autoguns, making it good on that merit alone.
In a Nutshell: Invincibility is Awesome
Works Well With: Needlegun, Terminal Breath, Ubersaw

Crit Creator:
Love the feeling of setting off a superburst and destroying everything within sight? Then you should stick with the Crit Creator. Not only does it build superburst extra fast, but your patient will fire nothing but crits while its active. This comes at a heavy cost, though, in that they are no longer invulnerable during superburst. One clever way to overcome this is to use superbursts on classes that do better at long range, like riflemen and infiltrators. Or you can just find an overweight or rocketman and have him spew glowing death at everything, either way. You'll get enough superbursts to try both.
In a Nutshell: Frequent High-Power Offense
Works Well With: Terminal Breath, Crusader's Crossbow, Ubersaw

Quick Fix:
On the other end of things, the Quick Fix is for healers who don't care about superbursts at all. Your base heal speed is improved, and it gets a lot better during a superburst, but your superbursts grant neither invulnerability nor infinite ammo, instead only tripling your heal rate. Learning to accommodate for the lack of a good superburst is the first step in mastering the Quick Fix, and it'll become second nature to start healing anything that moves near you. That said, the superburst doesn't prevent capturing points, which can come in very handy. While it's a very nice tool, it's also the weakest of the healer secondaries for handling autoguns. One last note: if you're healing a runner, you also move at runner speed, letting you escape or get to the battlefront much more easily.
In a Nutshell: Better Healing Over Superbursts
Works Well With: Blutsauger, Crusader's Crossbow

Overhealer:
The term "pocket healer" denotes someone who just latches their medigun onto a single target to the exclusion of other teammates. The Overhealer is a medigun built to accommodate just that. While your superburst is the same as the basic medigun, it builds up significantly slower. However, this medigun is the only one that can overheal patients, adding an extra 25% to their current health for as long as they're being healed. Overheal decays naturally, so top off the more mobile teammates, then find a good solid player and stick to them. They'll thank you for that extra resilience by earning you plenty of assists.
In a Nutshell: Extra Durable Patients
Works Well With: Needlegun, Blutsauger, Overdose

Doc Belmont's Holy Water:
Okay that's not the real name for it, but it is the real name IN MY HEART. Anyway! This is the medigun that, like Tomislav or the Huntsman, is intended for players who don't actually like playing healer at all. Rather than locking onto enemies, it has a three-clip set of potions, which fire in an arc not unlike the grenade launcher. Wherever they hit, enemies in the area are damaged slightly, and allies healed slightly as well. These potions can also heal you, which makes this an excellent tool for playing a more self-sufficient healer. The superburst for it, while it doesn't directly grant your teammates any boons, both renders you invincible and makes you fire nonstop crit potions for the duration, which DOES affect both heal rate and damage.
In a Nutshell:Who Needs a Pocket
Works Well With: Needlegun, Crusader's Crossbow

[Kalir]

CONSTRUCTOR
Average speed and health of 120. Underpowered in direct combat, but can build autoguns that instantly hit enemies within range. Versatile class that can attack and defend at the same time. Almost the same as in GG2, but you can't build unless you're wielding your secondary.

Primaries:

Shotgun:
What used to be a weapon unique to the Constructor is now available to three others as a secondary option. In the constructor's case, as with those other three, it's notable for the higher ammo capacity compared to other options. It doesn't have any additional firepower or utility, but it can work as well as it does in the basic game. You won't be earning many kills with it, but you'll help out the team and protect your autogun just fine.
In a Nutshell: High Ammo Support
Works Well With: Wrench, Wrangler, Eureka Effect

Frontier Justice:
A shotgun that trades away half the clip size for a revenge crit feature. Every kill your autogun gets is tracked, and when it's destroyed, either by the enemy or by you, this gun gets two crits per kill the autogun obtains. Making good use of this requires learning how best to place autoguns offensively, since defensive autoguns probably won't be destroyed while you're still alive, and you don't get revenge crits if you're dead.
In a Nutshell: Emergency Destroyer
Works Well With: Stungun, Wrangler

The Sheriff:
Why worry about potential revenge crits when you can just do damage all the time? The Sheriff has an impressive boost to base damage, letting a bold constructor stand proudly alongside any other frontline combatant and provide a force to be reckoned with. It carries a heavy cost, though: if you die, your building is destroyed automatically. If you weren't expecting your buildings to live long after your death, though, well, it's a great weapon.
In a Nutshell: Who Needs an Autogun
Works Well With: Nailgun, Stungun

Pomson 6000:
A weapon for paranoid constructors concerned about infiltrators. Similar to the Righteous Bison, it only holds four shots, and it fires a single laser that can penetrate targets. However, it has two extra features the Righteous Bison lacks. For starters, it drains the superburst of healers it hits, which makes this even better than piercing weapons already are against them. It also makes any infiltrators it hits become visible for about a half second, letting you chase them away from your autogun more effectively. Great for defensive play.
In a Nutshell: Scares Healers and Infiltrators
Works Well With: Nailgun, Wrench, Eureka Effect

Widowmaker:
A nifty little number. While functionally the damage is the same as with a shotgun, it doesn't have a separate ammo counter, instead drawing its shots from your supply of Nuts 'n' Bolts at a cost of 20 per shot. However, every shot you hit with rewards you with up to 40 more, making this a great tool if you have dead-eye aim and never stop building things. However, if you AREN'T spending Nuts 'n' bolts faster than you can earn them... well, stick with the normal Shotgun. Or, I suppose, if you actually use your secondary for direct combat a lot.
In a Nutshell: Gambling with Nuts 'n' Bolts
Works Well With: Nailgun, Wrench

Secondaries:

Nailgun:
At a basic level, the nailgun is similar to the runner's pistol, although rather than having a clip size, it simply costs 2 Nuts'n'Bolts to fire a shot. This makes it much easier to spam than the pistol, but you don't choose the nailgun for its spamminess. The Nailgun is the only secondary that lets the constructor build or repair provisioners (although you can still build mini-autoguns). Provisioners take longer to deploy than autoguns, but once active, slowly heal everyone within range. Anyone being healed by a provisioner replenishes ammo and Nuts'n'Bolts faster than normal, too. Given how rare healing is in GG2, the provisioner makes for a welcome addition to any constructor's blueprints.
In a Nutshell: Versatile Healing or Offense
Works Well With: The Sheriff, Pomson 6000

Stungun:
A commonly overlooked, but very powerful, option. The Stungun, in addition to deploying mini-autoguns, lets the constructor completely immobilize any enemy he hits with it for a short period of time. The projectile has a kind of weird trajectory, and you can only have one shot on screen at a time, but if combined with your autogun, or better yet, a nearby teammate, this will prove to be the most valuable tool an offensive constructor could ever hope for. Just be aware that the Stungun does very little damage on its own, so if you're away from your autogun or any teammates, don't bother with this, and switch to your primary.
In a Nutshell: Instant Paralysis
Works Well With: Frontier Justice, The Sheriff

Wrench:
Even though this has been nerfed since I first wrote this guide, it still changes the game pretty sharply. Aside from being a melee weapon, this is one of only two secondaries that allows the constructor to build full autoguns. Not only that, but you can spend Nuts 'n' Bolts on an autogun by hitting it with the wrench to repair or upgrade it. Each upgrade level costs 100 more Nuts 'n' Bolts, but adds additional firepower and health to the gun, topping out with a level 3 autogun. You can also pack up and carry autoguns with the wrench, although you're severely slowed while doing so. The big problem with the wrench is that while using it, your Nuts 'n' Bolts replenish at a positively glacial pace, meaning you'll be making frequent trips to the restock or nearest provisioner while building, and should never carry your autogun without someone backing you up.
How to counter: A lot of people think infiltrator is the best counter to the wrench. These people are stupid, because sapping the autogun will just alert them, shooting will get the autogun after you, and stabbing will earn you a face full of blunt metal. The Zapper knife is somewhat better at taking the autogun out, though. What you need to counter a wrench is some kind of attack that hits both the autogun and the constructor at once. The best option is the vanilla minegun, because the only thing stopping you from dumping three or four mines onto it for an instant destruction is a non-Frostbite firebug pushing them away. Other viable options include the firebug's Detonator, the vanilla rocket launcher, the runner's Flashlight, and a good rifleman if the autogun is in the open.
In a Nutshell: Unstoppable Defense
Works Well With: Shotgun, Pomson 6000, Widowmaker

Wrangler:
Tired of people exploting your autogun's AI to destroy it? The Wrangler lets you directly control your mini-autogun as long as its out. The direction you aim is the direction your mini-autogun aims, and you can fire up to 100 shots from a given mini-autogun, more than enough for handling anything (plus you can just build a new one, mini-autoguns are cheap at 50). Wrangled autoguns can fire well beyond their visual range, about twice as far off, though they can't fire through teammates. Sounds familiar, no? This is the weapon of choice for constructors who want to provide long-range support for their team. It's also noteworthy for dealing out extra damage while wrangling.
How to counter: The high damage the Wrangler affords over long distances makes it a very scary prospect in the hands of a skilled constructor. If you want to counter this, try thinking first of ways you'd normally counter riflemen, since the two are used in similar scenarios. A runner that can avoid the shots (especially using the atomic punch) is one good way, as is an infiltrator, since using the Wrangler means you can't remove sappers. Another option is, of course, an actual rifleman. Mini-autoguns only have 80 health, easily doable for a charged scoped shot.
In a Nutshell: Rifleman Style Autoguns
Works Well With: Shotgun, Frontier Justice

Eureka Effect:
A new wrench, oh no! It might seem scary at first, but the nerfs to the wrench make this actually a less scary option if you ask me. The Eureka Effect trades away the ability to pick up your autogun with a teleport function. Just taunt, and you'll be transported to your autogun in about a second or so. It's great if you can't leave your autogun alone for a second before an infiltrator shows up to sap it, but don't get too predictable with it, or they'll use the sapping as bait to backstab you right as you teleport in. Defensively, it's even better than the normal Wrench, but you'll be married to the restock while using it.
In a Nutshell: Protect Your Autogun
Works Well With: Shotgun, Pomson 6000

[Kalir]

INFILTRATOR
Average speed, low health of 100. Has both passive invisibility if enemies are looking the other way, and an active cloak. Useful for surprise attacks, though fragile in direct combat. Attacking while cloaked does not backstab unless using your secondary, but instead places a sapper, disabling buildings and damaging them over time. Sapping is twice as fast as a backstab.
NOTE: Since revolvers and knives are used in drastically different situations for the infiltrator, they can be used in roughly any combination without significantly affecting one another.

Primaries:

Revolver:
The revolver is largely identical to its basic counterpart: slowish to fire, but each individual shot packs pretty significant might, and they travel accurately and over respectable distances. Compared to other primaries, it's got a good combination of stealth and reliable damage, so as long as you're somewhere the enemy doesn't expect when you start firing, you'll prove to be quite the thorn in their side.
In a Nutshell: Stealth, Speed, Strength

L'etranger:
A weapon that seems weak at first, but which can be terrifying once you adapt to its playstyle. Each shot from the L'etranger does less damage than other revolvers, but it's not hard to get kills with it if the enemy is occupied with something else. Once you do get a kill, your Dead Ringer will accrue two seconds of ubercloak. As long as you have ubercloak active, cloaking at all will drain it but render you nearly invincible (to the tune of any projectile hitting you only doing 1 damage). Use this when people know you're there and want to make them waste ammo, and you'll become almost completely impossible to kill.
In a Nutshell: Invincibility is Fun

Enforcer:
A popular choice among infiltrators, and with good reason. The Enforcer does more damage per shot than other revolvers, almost as much as a direct hit from a Cow Mangler. You lose out on your passive invisibility while it's active, though, so you better be sure that those shots will get you a kill or two if you're going to drop your cloak. Not that you'll have much, if any, trouble doing so: three shots is enough to drop most classes with this. Note that the fewer shots remain in your clip, the less damage it will do, so it won't be much help unless you take the time to flee and reload in between attacks.
How to counter: Due to the ability to ambush people out of nowhere and do a huge amount of damage before they can react, this weapon has come to be pretty scary for a lot of players. The key to countering this is, as with countering any infiltrator, to be aware. This is the only infiltrator primary that loses passive invisibility, so if you EVER see an infiltrator behind you, drop what you're doing and turn around and MURDER THEM TO DEATH. Additionally, if you're aware the other team's got an Enforcer infiltrator, try to always travel with a teammate if you can, since having no passive invisibility is a great way to get the attention of crowds.
In a Nutshell: Power over Stealth

The Diplomat:
For the infiltrator who takes time to ensure each shot is as effective as can be. Your firing rate is slowed, and the base damage on your shots lowered, but unlike every other revolver, the Diplomat can score headshots, beating even the Enforcer for damage doled out. As long as the enemy doesn't know you're there, you have all the time in the world to line up those headshots too, so careful players will love this one.
In a Nutshell: Headshots from Nowhere

Nordic Gold:
A new option for infiltrators who consider the label of "support class" a badge of honor. While it does slightly less damage than the vanilla revolver, that's not enough to provide a significant setback, but the slower movement speed certainly does. Every enemy you kill with this revolver will drop a health packet that your teammates can pick up for a small bit of healing. It's a good way to get people to be thankful for you supporting them midfight, and an excellent way to promote teamwork, so just play cautiously and don't open fire unless there's a teammate distracting the enemy and you'll go far.
In a Nutshell: Medical Supporting Fire

Secondaries:

Knife:
All of the infiltrator's secondaries are melee weapons while uncloaked, functioning like any other. When cloaked, you instead perform the signature backstab you've come to know and loathe. The default knife doesn't make any changes to the basic backstab, instead having an upgraded uncloaked swing. Consecutive hits with the knife will ramp up the damage it does, not incredibly so, but enough to make surprise attacks with it pretty devastating. Good luck surviving more than a few swings into it, though.
In a Nutshell: Ambush Melee Attack

Medichain:
A new addition that every infiltrator should use for a while, if only to break the bad habit of relying on backstabs. A missed backstab with the Medichain will damage the user by 15 points. However, if you stab either a healer or their patient, both of them die instantly. I shouldn't have to explain why that's good. The cost, of course, ensures that only people who stab when they know it'll count, or they have no better option, will make use of this knife.
In a Nutshell: Situationally Devastating

Big Earner:
If you really love backstabbing, though, then you'll love the Big Earner. That -20 maximum health is a scary prospect, but after the first successful backstab, later ones will go off twice as fast, which is more than fast enough to surprise anyone. Timing faster backstabs is trickier, but once you've got the timing down, all you need to get is that first backstab and suddenly you've got the entire enemy team running scared.
In a Nutshell: High Risk, High Reward

Spycicle:
The hallmark of the newbie infiltrator, anyone killed by the Spycicle noiselessly freezes over, which is a pretty respectable boon on its own. Additionally, if you should catch fire, the fire will extinguish as soon as you get out of range of the firebug. This auto-extinguish will prevent you from using your knife for a short amount of time afterwards, however, so it's best suited to infiltrators who have no plans to stab in the first place.
In a Nutshell: I Hate Firebugs

Zapper:
This thing annoys the hell out of me. True, it does almost no damage even if you successfully backstab with it, but stunning a player on backstab, especially with the backstab faster than normal, is almost as bad as a kill for most people anyway. It's also the best suited weapon to taking down autoguns, as a backstab with the Zapper will deal 120 damage to any autogun, killing everything but a level 3 autogun, and finishing off anything with 20 HP, autogun or no, is easy to do. If the enemy's got their base locked down with autoguns everywhere, just go in (SLIGHTLY) ahead of the team and start stabbing autoguns, and you'll break through in no time.
In a Nutshell: Sappers are for Losers

[Kalir]

RIFLEMAN
Below average speed, average health of 120. Instant-hit primary that can scope, letting the rifleman scroll his view over a distance. Supports the team by hitting key targets from afar. Plays about the same as in normal GG2.

Primaries:

Sniper Rifle:
Identical to the base GG2 counterpart, the sniper rifle affords one of the best unscoped shot types in general, as it's both hitscan (i.e. hits instantly) and travels pretty much indefinitely until it hits a target. When scoped, it retains the slower firing speed and ability to charge shots over time. It still can't travel through teammates, so you'll need to get good at firing past them in order to make good use of this weapon, but it doubles as a passable close-range weapon if your reflexes and aim are good.
In a Nutshell: Versatile Ranged Support
Works Well With: Jarate, Kukri/Darwin's Danger Shield

Bazaar Bargain:
Do you miss the ability to land headshots with your sniper rifle? The Bazaar Bargain rewards riflemen who take the time to line up that perfect shot with bonus damage on headshots, and moreover, consecutive headshots decrease charge time while scoped. You lose out on unscoped damage pretty sharply, though, so you should hope that your team can keep enemies away. Still, that bonus damage on headshots means you can drop almost anything with a fully-charged headshot over a long distance, which is reason enough to choose this.
In a Nutshell: Long Range Precision
Works Well With: SMG, Tribalman's Shiv/Razorback, Rocket Boots

Huntsman:
Don't like hanging back behind your team and taking occasional potshots at the enemy? Well, you probably shouldn't be playing rifleman, then, but now you can with the Huntsman. You lose out on both the scope and the hitscan rifle shots, but you can fire arrows from this through teammates. This doesn't seem like a huge boon, but between your ability to charge shots without a scope and the ability to score headshots, it more than compensates for the two big drawbacks. Note that charge time affects damage and projectile speed, and most dangerously, firebugs can reflect arrows.
In a Nutshell: Sniping Point Blank
Works Well With: Jarate, Kukri/Darwin's Danger Shield

Machina:
The Machina is the weapon of choice if you find yourself constantly frustrated by your teammates blocking your fully-charged shots. You lose the ability to make unscoped shots, and the charge time increases slightly, but fully charged shots will pass through one target, allied or not, to hit a second behind it, doing full damage (if applicable) to both. You'll be stuck in scoped mode a lot of the time with this, but you'll also be scary as hell while using it, particularly for healers.
In a Nutshell: Anti-Healer Rifle
Works Well With: SMG, Tribalman's Shiv/Razorback, Rocket Boots

Sydney Sleeper:
A rifle for those who prefer getting assists to kills. The damage overall is weaker than a normal rifle, regardless of whether you're scoped or not, but a scoped will Jarate the target in addition to the damage dealt, making them easy pickings for any of your teammates since any shots they land will be considered crits. You won't get as many SWEET FRAGS with this rifle, but who the hell cares, you're supporting your team all the more effectively.
In a Nutshell: Long-Distance Weakening
Works Well With: SMG, Tribalman's Shiv/Razorback, Rocket Boots

Secondaries:

SMG:
The only non-melee damaging secondary available to the rifleman. It has twice the clip size and fires twice as fast as the runner's pistol, but it does pretty low damage and scatters quite a bit. It's great if you want to be able to add to the team at mid-range without fussing about with your primary and being blocked by the team. Note the reload time, though: it's significant enough that you won't be able to just charge in spewing bullets all the time (that's what the Overweight is for).
In a Nutshell: Mid-Range Backup
Works Well With: Bazaar Bargain, Machina, Sydney Sleeper

Jarate:
Arguably a top-tier trolling weapon. This gives you a single shot of jar-based karate that can be lobbed like a grenade at targets, not unlike Mad Milk. Any enemies who've been Jarated will take crit damage from any shot that hits them, making this another great way to support your team at closer ranges. It covers a number of targets within range, too, letting you be much more viable against groups. In addition, it shorts out infiltrator cloaks and can put out fires on your team. It takes a while to reload, but all these benefits together make for a very powerful option.
In a Nutshell: Critical Support Grenade
Works Well With: Sniper Rifle, Huntsman

Kukri/Darwin's Danger Shield:
The basic melee weapon available to the rifleman. It's not a bad choice, especially because enemies will naturally run right up next to you to prevent you from aiming your primary, and the 20 extra health makes for the survivability to push forward with your team. A solid choice for riflemen who expect to be under attack frequently, even weighed against the more technical options for your secondary.
In a Nutshell: Survivability Up Close
Works Well With: Sniper Rifle, Huntsman

Tribalman's Shiv/Razorback:
This is, bar none, the best secondary for riflemen who constantly find themselves harassed by infiltrators. Though weaker than the other melee option, hits from the Tribalman's Shiv will cause profuse bleeding, dealing damage over time and (more importantly) preventing infiltrators from using their cloaks. Additionally, the Razorback will block a single backstab attempt, no matter what. Keep your ears ready for the distinctive sound of the shield breaking, though, and remember that the Razorback can't stop revolver shots.
In a Nutshell: Anti-Infiltrator Set
Works Well With: Bazaar Bargain, Machina, Sydney Sleeper

Rocket Boots:
Tired of begging the team's rocketman to blast you to a good sniping perch? Use the rocket boots and you can get there yourself. They effectively grant you a double jump that uses ammo, which replenishes slowly, but a full clip is easily enough to duplicate a rocketjump's height. Properly used, you can get to places that very few other classes can get to, leaving you completely safe. This comes at a cost of not having any kind of offensive secondary, but when no one can reach you, what do you need except your rifle?
In a Nutshell: Fly to Safety
Works Well With: Bazaar Bargain, Machina, Sydney Sleeper

[Kalir]

Theoretically Asked Questions:

Why not cover the other modes?
Mostly because they're pretty sharply unbalanced in one way or another. There's no sense strategizing for theoretical random loadouts against other theoretical random loadouts, because you might just get Mad Milk and the Buff Banner. As for Haxton Sale mode, it's basically just fighting an Equalizer soldier who can go invincible pretty much on demand and has boatloads of health.

What weapons do you think are OP/UP and how would you change them?
  Rundown could probably use a slight damage nerf.
  Phlogistinator was extremely powerful in the prior version, so I need to playtest the nerf it has now, but if the damage from it isn't lower than the normal flamethrower, it needs to be.
  Hm... I think I'm okay with the rocketman right now. Hooray!
  The Family Business would do better with a penalty to firing rate than a penalty to damage dealt.
  The Stucky Charm is a terrible weapon and I have no idea why anyone would bother with it, but this argument and possible alternatives have been brought up in the thread proper.
  I'm not sure why Doc Belmont's Holy Water has a three-potion clip, but that bugs me for some reason. I'd just as soon have it removed unless someone can explain what it adds.
  Maybe make the provisioner heal a bit slower? I dunno.
  I'd complain about the Spycicle, but it's not really too overpowered and most good infiltrators will use the Big Earner or sometimes the Medichain anyway. Sadly, the Infiltrator in general is underpowered, but that's just because the dual-weapon mechanic has made playing him even more complex.
  Rocket boots need an actual downside. Not having a close-range defense option doesn't count when nobody can even get to close range without rocketjumping up to you. I'd go with a -20 max HP cost at the very least.

How the devil do crits/minicrits even work?
Minicrits add an extra 35% damage to a hit. Crits add an extra 75%.

I got instakilled by a crit melee attack! So unfair!
At present, any melee weapon has a 15% chance to perform a minicrit with each swing, taking the damage up from its base of 40 (less for the Tribalman's Shiv, Atomizer or Sandman, more for the Killing Gloves of Boxing, even more for a wounded Equalizer) to 54. This won't actually make too much of a difference most of the time, since a melee weapon still needs three swings to kill most classes, but that extra bit can make the difference if you flee after being wounded. Rather than worrying about crits, worry about the base damage. 40 is a huge number already, so if you see someone with a melee weapon, avoid getting in melee range first and foremost.

How does medieval mode work?
In Medieval mode, each class except for rifleman is using a melee weapon. Firebug uses the Sharpened Volcano Fragment, which deals normal damage plus afterburn. Constructor builds autocrossbows instead of autoguns, which fire non-hitscan crossbow bolts at a rapid pace at anything in sight. Rifleman uses the Huntsman.

totally not a stealth post reserve

[cabalier]

Overall, very well-written and informative guide. A couple of comments.

Force-A-Nature:
A very powerful, but very risky, weapon to use. The costs are severe, as you have only two shots and are at reduced HP to boot, but the extra damage and firing speed, enough to two-shot most classes in the game (and that's all the shots you've got), plus the knockback to keep close-range monsters at bay, are both worth it. This option is best for runners who aren't afraid to get up close and meatshot things to death, then run out when they're done.

It might be useful to note that the Force-A-Nature recoils, knocking back the player slightly as well. This increases the skill curve of the Force-A-Nature but can be useful in many situations if exploited correctly.

Black Box:
This weapon's got a pretty heavy penalty for the rocketman's already limited ammo reserves, denying him one extra rocket. However, each direct hit with a rocket he lands heals 15 points of damage away, giving him much greater staying power, especially on defense. If you can make each shot count, this will prove to be a very valuable weapon. Not recommended for rocketjumpers, or rocketmen who find themselves with pocket healers.
In a Nutshell: Hold Down the Fort
Works Well With: Shotgun, Righteous Bison

I'd argue that Black Box also works well with Equalizer. 9 times out of 10, I'm in a tight spot only when enemies are close to me. If I'm out of rockets and enemies are close to me, I'm in trouble; if I'm out of rockets and the enemy is far away or at mid-range, I can just maneuver or hide and reload. The Equalizer has greater damage output than Shotgun or Righteous Bison, so I always play it with Black Box. Otherwise, I just prefer reloading my rockets to switching to a different ranged weapon, especially if successfully using my rockets leads to greater survivability.

Brass Beast:
12% extra damage might not seem like much, but with the overweight's already high damage rate, that adds a surprising amount of impact to even grazing blows. The cost is very high, though, since you're stuck where you are while it's firing. Given that even slight momemtum is applied to every shot, this becomes noticeable very quickly. However, on defense, there's nothing better, since enemies will come to you, and if they don't, well, you must be doing something right. This also works well if you've got a pocket healer, since you can park yourself right in front of the enemy's outpost and keep them locked down as long as they last.

It should be noted that one can still jump while firing the Brass Beast. I've exploited this many times and it affords almost as much dodging ability as other miniguns. Even when defending, one should jump. A lot. It greatly increases survivability.

Eyelander:
The traditional melee weapon of the Detonator, and one of two options for them. The added draw the Eyelander brings to the table is a charge function as an alternate fire. While charging, you move at runner speed and your Eyelander deals minicrits with each hit, but you cannot stop moving, and your movement direction is determined by facing rather than keypresses. While this can make for an impressive offense, it takes finesse and timing to make it really work, otherwise you just end up getting the entire enemy team's attention and weapons focused on you. Like the Equalizer, the safer option is, of course, to use it to retreat to safety when in a bind.
In a Nutshell: Emergency Speed Boost
Works Well With: Minegun, Scottish Resistance

Consider mentioning that, unlike the Bonk!, intel isn't dropped when the alt-fire is used, allowing a speedy getaway for intel grabbers who don't have the luxury of the stickyjumper.

Quick Fix:
On the other end of things, the Quick Fix is for healers who don't care about superbursts at all. Your base heal speed is improved, and it gets a lot better during a superburst, but your superbursts grant neither invulnerability nor infinite ammo. Learning to accommodate for the lack of a good superburst is the first step in mastering the Quick Fix, and it'll become second nature to start healing anything that moves near you. While it's a very nice tool, it's also the weakest of the healer secondaries for handling autoguns.
In a Nutshell: Better Healing Over Superbursts
Works Well With: Blutsauger, Crusader's Crossbow

You should mention that the Superburst for the Quick Fix, while having no beneficial side effects, heals your teammates much, much faster. Therefore, the Superburst paradigm changes. It's useful to Superburst when your teammates are on low health so you can quickly fill them up, regardless of whether or not they are in immediate danger. It's also funny when enemies get scared because they think it's a normal superburst ^^

Wrangler:
Tired of people exploting your autogun's AI to destroy it? The Wrangler lets you directly control your mini-autogun as long as its out. The direction you aim is the direction your mini-autogun aims, and you can fire up to 100 shots from a given mini-autogun. Wrangled autoguns can fire well beyond their visual range, about twice as far off, though they can't fire through teammates. Sounds familiar, no? This is the weapon of choice for constructors who want to provide long-range support for their team.
In a Nutshell: Rifleman Style Autoguns
Works Well With: Shotgun, Frontier Justice

You should also mention the Wrangler's really high DPS and amazing ability to deny chokepoints and areas simply by continually firing. 100 shots is actually a very large amount of firing, and a Wrangler can work as well as a heavy at denial. Also, the Wrangler should work well with the Sheriff. If you die with the Sheriff, then your structure - in this case - the miniturret - dies as well, which doesn't really matter in this case because you won't be able to control the Wrangler when you are dead.

Jarate:
Arguably a top-tier trolling weapon. This gives you a single shot of jar-based karate that can be lobbed like a grenade at targets, not unlike Mad Milk. Any enemy who's been Jarated will take crit damage from any shot that hits them, making this another great way to support your team at closer ranges. In addition, it shorts out infiltrator cloaks and can put out fires on your team. It takes a while to reload, but all these benefits together make for a very powerful option.
In a Nutshell: Critical Support Grenade
Works Well With: Huntsman, Machina

Also of note is the fact that Jarate can hit multiple opponents who are close to one another. Ultimate trolling weapon indeed.

Again: overall, excellent guide. You know your randomizin' quite well.

[SirPainsalot]

Very informative guide, Kalir. I'm impressed.
A few notes you should add though;
Quick-Fix ubers can cap a flag, which is very useful and a very good reason why you should pick this up.
Frontier Justice is too glitchy to use- not recommended.
... That's about it.
Very good guide, I think I'll be reading this for a while. 

[Intel Guard]

Theoretically Asked Questions:

Why not cover the other modes?:
Mostly because they're pretty sharply unbalanced in one way or another. I may cover medieval mode later, but I don't plan to do so at present.

totally not a stealth post reserve

I am in the camp that Randomizer in general is sharply unbalanced.

[bullets (obviously)]

Excellent guide, Kalir.
A few notes to add:
-Transmutator heals 5hp for a grounded sticky, 15 for an aerial, and 30 for any kind of rocket.
-Direct hit doesn't do extra damage on airshots as far as I could tell
-Cow mangler does 75 dmg on hit, and burns away another 13.
-Demoman:
  -Tiger uppercut does only splash damage, but up to 40 dmg for aerials in a larger blast radius than the standard. This affects stickyjumps - 40hp lost for an m1m2, but only 20 for an m1.....m2
  -Each grenade from the single grenade launcher does 40 dmg but each from the Double Trouble does only 30, even if only one is fired.